


Cuddle Bugs

by DoobleBugs



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Cuddling, bugs get hugs!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:28:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25994476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoobleBugs/pseuds/DoobleBugs
Summary: Kindness and Love can shine in even the bleakest of places
Relationships: Cloth & The Knight (Hollow Knight), Hornet & Tiso (Hollow Knight), The Knight & Myla (Hollow Knight)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 171





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alright so this chapter has Cloth....who is looking to die in glorious combat? I tried to dance around the issue, but a slight warning may be needed.

Deepnest was a truly frightening place. There were beasts and monsters that skittered, snapped, burned, scratched, screamed, and worse. It was dreadfully dark and cold, the small plants that provided light never seemed to give enough.

_ This was a terrible idea.  _ Was all Cloth could think.  _ This place is the worst.  _

This wouldn’t do at all. There was no glory to be found here, no mighty creatures. Only terrifying ones that burst from the ground beneath her feet. That was her schtick! How dare they take it!

Cloth had managed to bravely retreat from one of the crawling horrors and into a small cavern. The cavern was partially constructed, with the corpses of the workers nearby.  _ Just as creepy as the rest of this place… _

Regardless, it seemed free of nasty critters, so Cloth sat down to rest. She’d take a breather, then move somewhere else. The Mantis Lords she spoke to earlier were very helpful in pointing her in some directions, maybe she should consider elsewhere.

There were footsteps coming closer. Cloth reached for her club, ready to slay any beast that came close-

A white face hopped from a large crack in the wall, being chased by one of the digger-critters. Just as she stood to help, the little warrior turned and sliced the creature in two.

“Ah, it’s you! The Little Warrior.” Cloth felt a pang of shame, she didn’t even know their name. But she supposed it didn’t matter, she didn’t plan on staying in this kingdom long. “I see you’ve found your way down here as well. I, personally, find this place absolutely dreadful.”

The Little Warrior kept their head low. Cloth noticed they were  _ shaking.  _ Were they afraid as well? They held themselves with such confidence in the Fungal Wastes, did this place frighten them as well?

“This whole area swarms with deadly critters, biting, burning, scratching types. I'd thought to test my strength against them. Now that bravado has left me and all I feel is tired and sore.” Cloth mumbled, trying not to whine. She was supposed to be an epic warrior! Not a whiny little grub. “I’m taking a brief rest.”

Nodding, the small bug clambered up the construction behind her, sitting down on a bench nearby. They were still shivering. “Are...are you afraid, little one?” Cloth called out.

She saw the bug hesitate. Staring at her with their large eyes, they nodded slowly. 

“Well, come here, then.” She offered. “Don’t sit there by yourself, come sit beside me. There’s safety and comfort in numbers.”

The Little Warrior almost seemed excited as they hopped off the bench to sit next to her. Cloth couldn't help but notice how  _ cold _ they were. How small. Was this truly a warrior? Or...no, no parent would allow a  _ child _ to wander Hallownest.

_ Still _ .

"You're freezing, little one." Cloth commented. "Are you alright? Are you sick?"

They looked up at her, large eyes devoid of emotion. They tilted their head, confused. "Sickness is a terrible way to go. There's no honor. Here-"

Cloth scooped them up, placing the small bug in her lap. They were so little, they fit perfectly. Cloth was seriously considering that this was, in fact, a lost child.

Their shivering slowed down, and soon they stopped. "There, nice and warm." The Little Warrior quickly settled in her lap, leaning their head on her arm.

"... Little Warrior. Are you...alone?" Cloth asked slowly, unsure of what exactly she was asking. "You seem awfully...small. Young? You don't seem like you should be alone."

The Little Warrior remained silent. They breathed in and out, slowly, as if asleep. "My friend?" Cloth asked, surprised. They honestly just fell asleep in her lap.

Hm. Finding a worthy foe would have to wait. Once Cloth was feeling better rested, she was going to take this little one up to Dirtmouth where it was safe.


	2. Greenpath Naps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm putting this right here to say I don't ship Hornet and Tiso but I fucking love friend/platonic cuddles and think Hornet deserves a hug  
> also Hornet's a lesbian

“Alright, and we set the trap down like this-” Hornet instructed, placing down her silken trap. Tiso, to his credit, was completely engrossed in her tutorial; no matter how hard she tried, Ghost never could pay attention. “And then we cover it mostly with leaves-”

“OK, OK.” He muttered, nodding along with what she was saying.

Hornet stood, clapping her hands together to get rid of the dirt and dust. “And then we wait.”

His disappointment was palpable. “...we wait?”

"Work smarter, not harder. We get more prey when we set up traps compared to running around like a blind Obble." She explained. "You seem disappointed. Why?"

He grumbled, "Yeah, but I'm hungry _now_."

She sighed. "A few hours is not going to kill you, Tiso. We can set more traps while we wait. And if you keep whining, I'll settle for _you_ as my prey instead. I'm doing this as a favor, you know."

After a moment of reluctance, Tiso stood. "Fine, lead the way, princess."

Hornet bristled at the nickname but remained silent. It was born from a place of teasing, and not from her actual title. (Well, truth be told, he called her that because she was, quote “Stuck up and serious”. She tossed him off a ledge for that.)

They had more traps to set up in Greenpath. Hornet’s traps were deadly and well-hidden, Tiso’s was...not. Sloppy and set in strange places. She scoffed. “Have you never set traps before?”

“No.” He shot back, claws currently tangled in silk. “Where I came from, we didn’t set traps. We chased down our prey and overwhelmed them with sheer numbers.” He looked away, sheepish. “Well, supposedly. I was never on hunting duty. I wanted to, trust me.”

“I believe we have enough traps. Now we-”

_“Now_ can we eat??

“We haven’t caught anything!” She hissed back. “We still need to wait for something to wander in our traps, something I have no control over.”

He groaned, shoulder’s slumped. “I’m going to _starve_. I’m going to starve and die and you don’t even care!” He dramatically announced.

“You’re right.” Hornet said, and when she saw the slightly hopeful tilt of his head, she added, “I don’t care.” 

She pretended not to see Tiso’s scowl. “Come, I’ll show you a little nook I use to hide in while I wait for my traps. It’s not too bad, all things considered. A bit small, maybe. It’s been some time since I used it in Greenpath.”

Her hiding spot was a small nook between two large rocks, overgrown with moss and foliage that made the inside almost impossible to see. Turns out, it was small. A lot smaller than she thought. 

Hornet and Tiso barely managed to fit in the little nook, both of their personal bubbles firmly popped. “...now what?” Tiso asked, trying to shift to get more comfortable. “Let me guess, more waiting?”

“Congratulations, some things _do_ get through your thick skull,” Hornet muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm. She used some silk and started to play with it, making a spider’s cradle. “Yes. We wait. I hope you have something to do.”

“I do, in fact.” He said, sounding smug. He set his shield nearby, shifted deeper into the moss surrounding him, and sighed contently. “I’m gonna sleep. Wake me up when something interesting happens.”

Hornet watched, amazed, as he closed his eyes and began to snore. She was honestly quite envious of his ability to fall asleep that quickly and seemingly _anywhere._ Hornet had to be in an area she designated ‘safe’, had to set up base camp, had to have a specialized area for her bed, and then she would toss and turn for hours.

...Tiso was snoring very loudly. She did her best to ignore it.

She couldn’t ignore, however, when Tiso shifted and started putting an arm around her. _What the Hell did this fool think he was doing?!_ Before Hornet could do anything about the blatant disregard for her space, Tiso - still asleep! - grabbed her with one arm and dragged her close to his chest.

Here she was, tucked underneath his arm and close to his chest as he continued to snore, seemingly oblivious to the turmoil he had caused. Hornet was angry, no, _furious._ Furious and confused, both emotions causing her to stiffen up, incapable of moving.

Hornet’s rage cooled slightly. This wasn’t the _worst_ thing in the world, all things considered. She knew she could take on the fool and win, easily. There was no danger here, she was in a familiar place (her hunting nook) with someone she knew and somewhat trusted (Tiso).

She was almost...comfortable. Tiso was warm, a stark comparison to her siblings. Cautiously, she rested her head on his arm. Immediately he curled around her, resting his head on hers. There was a rhythmic rumble in his chest - his snoring - that was unintentionally soothing. _Oh._ This was. _Nice._ Hornet felt safe, secure, _shielded._

Hornet felt her eyes start to close. She was tired. But she was also warm...and safe...and safe... _safe_.

* * *

Her eyes shot open, but she didn’t move. Judging by the shadows and light outside, hours had passed. Had she really slept for hours? Without nightmares or tossing and turning? Huh, that was new.

Tiso still had her tucked away next to his chest, but he had opened up slightly, still snoring. Drooling too. Gross.

Still unmoving, Hornet heard a chirp. She watched as a bit of foliage shook, and out popped a Mosscreep. It tilted its head curiously at the two, starting to crawl up Tiso’s leg. He didn’t notice. Amused, she continued to watch the little creature climb up his leg, onto his stomach, and stopped at his chest.

“Tiso. Get up.” She whispered, elbowing his side. His _cracked_ side. 

Tiso _yelped_ as he sat up, the Mosscreep chirping in surprise and darting away. _“Owww ow ow!”_ He hissed, wincing and reaching for his side. He glanced at Hornet, eyes growing wide as he realized where she was.

He pulled away. “Uh, uh, I-I’m sorry?” Tiso apologized, stammering.

“It is quite...alright.” Hornet replied slowly. “I’m not upset.”

“You’re not?” He asked, sounding surprised. He chuckled nervously. “O-Oh, good. I was afraid you’d bite my head off or something.”

Hornet crawled out of the nook. “I still might. Let’s hope we have something in our traps, for your sake.”

“Funny joke.” Tiso followed after her. “You _are_ joking, right? Hornet? Hornet tell me you’re joking-”


	3. Turn Off The Light

Ghost peeked over the counter of Iselda and Cornifer’s shop, seeing Cornifer being the one behind it for once. “Ah! Hello hello, little one! You look different! Did you recently molt? Are you here for some maps? I believe I found some new tunnels in the Fungal Wastes-”

Shaking their head, Ghost pointed to the trapdoor that led to the basement. “You want to go into the storage rooms?” Cornifer asked, confused. “There’s nothing in there worth your time unless you’re fond of eating rancid eggs-”

His antennae twitched. “Oh, ooooh! Do you want to see your little friend? I believe Iselda is tending to her right now. My ‘selda is so good with medical care, your little friend is in very good claws!”

Ghost pointed again. “Alright, alright, let me open up! Say ‘hi’ to ‘Selda for me! Ask what she wants me to make her for lunch!”

The little bug hopped down, barely containing their excitement as they lept over boxes and barrels. They stopped at the first room with a light inside, gently stomping their feet all the while. 

“Ah, there you are, little one. You seem...different. A molt, perhaps?” Iselda purred, gesturing for them to come closer. Ghost gladly obliged, feeling like they were moments away from vibrating out of their own shell. “She’s feeling much better now, I don’t know what happened, but she just sort of...snapped out of it. But just to make sure, I bandaged her up as best I could.”

Ghost reached forward, gently shaking the bug on the cot.

“Bury...Bury my body…” She murmured, slowly sitting up. “Cover...cover...I don’t remember…” She blinked. “I don’t remember...how I got here?”

Without hesitation, Ghost dashed forward to give Myla a hug, squeezing her as tight as they could (without hurting her, obviously). She wasn’t infected anymore!

“O-Oh! It’s you! The little bug in the mines!” Myla said, the cheerful tone of her voice quickly vanishing. “A-And you came, a-and...and I grabbed my pick...oh..oh no! Oh no I’m so sorry! I-I’m so sorry, little bug!” She returned the hug, holding little Ghost close. “I tried to attack you!”

Ghost didn’t mind. She didn’t mean it. And now, the infection wouldn’t hurt her or anyone else ever again. So they continued to hug her close, now that everything was fine.

**Author's Note:**

> YEAH I WANNA WRITE,,,,MORE CUDDLES.......they may not be very long chapters though


End file.
